1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to golf equipment, and more particularly, customizable golf club equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many sports, such as golf, baseball, tennis, and hockey, require a user to swing an implement for striking a ball or other object. The level of success when participating in such sports oftentimes relates to the user's ability to control the implement with a high degree of precision and accuracy. In this regard, even minor flaws with the user's control over the implement may give rise to adverse results. For instance, when playing golf, if the user's swing results in the clubface being open instead of squaring with the ball at impact, the ball may be sliced. Additionally, or alternatively, the location of the center of gravity is known to affect the trajectory of the ball upon impact. For example, a rearward center of gravity is generally associated with higher dynamic loft and greater moment of inertia as compared with a forward center of gravity. Also, center of gravity location affects spin, gear effect, and sweet spot location. As a result, a center of gravity location that is desirable for one golfer may not be desirable for another.
Recent improvements in technology have enabled customization of golf clubs to better fit the user. In this regard, rather than a “one size fits all” approach, the marketplace now offers different options to suit the needs and characteristics of different consumers. For example, many golf club manufacturers currently offer their customers various fitting applications to improve their equipment selection.
Available customization techniques are, however, still limited in that they tend to require specialized equipment and, in some cases a specialized environment that is solely dedicated to customization, and is not intended for normal use. For instance, the user may swing a specially configured fitting club during a fitting session for purposes of identifying the user's swing characteristics. After the fitting session, the club manufacturer may build a golf club that is customized to the user based on information gathered during the fitting session. The process of building the customized club may take several days or even weeks.
Due to the specially configured customization equipment used during many fitting sessions, as well as the time associated with the customization process, customization tends to be an expensive resource which is typically used only by more serious golfers. Furthermore, the time consuming nature associated with many existing fitting applications is undesirable, as consumers typically have a desire for immediate acquisition of their purchases.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved customization kit and related methodology, which allows for quick and easy customization of a mechanical device, such as a golf club. Various aspects of the present disclosure address this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.